This invention relates to an assembly and method of manufacturing a carbon composite duct assembly, such as for a turbine engine.
A turbine engine may have a bypass duct assembly. The bypass duct assembly provides a source of thrust for the engine and generally surrounds the engine core. The assembly comprises several ducts: an intermediate case duct, a split flange duct and a forward augmenter duct. The intermediate case duct is upstream of the split flange duct, which is followed downstream by the forward augmenter duct.
To provide access to the engine core, the split flange duct is made of two halves split generally along the length of the duct. Each half interfaces with the other half through a flange, an axial flange, extending along the length of the duct. In addition, the split flange duct interfaces with the intermediate case duct and the forward augmenter duct through circumferential flanges that surround the opening of the split flange duct on each side. For each half of the split flange duct, the axial flange and the circumferential flange intersect, forming a corner.
Bypass ducts have typically been made of metal. Recently, carbon fiber has become an alternative source of material for the parts of the turbine engine. One problem presented by the use of carbon fiber has been to attempt to create the corner formed by the circumferential flange and the axial flange. For metal ducts, the corner is either welded, forged or machined. With respect to carbon fiber, however, these techniques are not available for forming a corner.
A need exists for a way to create a corner at the intersection of the axial flange and the circumferential flange of a carbon composite duct.